No Longer Strangers: Transforming Evangelism with Immigrant Communities

by Eugene Cho (Editor), Samira Izadi Page (Editor), Ann Voskamp (Foreword)

What does evangelism look like at its best?   Evangelism can hurt sometimes. Well-meaning Christians who welcome immigrants and refugees and share the gospel with them will often alienate the very people they are trying to serve through cultural misconceptions or insensitivity to their life experiences. In  No Longer Strangers , diverse voices lay out a vision for a healthier evangelism that can honor the most vulnerable—many of whom have lived through trauma, oppression, persecution, and the effects of colonialism—while foregrounding the message of the gospel.  With perspectives from immigrants and refugees, and pastors and theologians (some of whom are immigrants themselves), this book offers guidance for every church, missional institution, and individual Christian in navigating the power dynamics embedded in differences of culture, race, and language. Every contributor wholeheartedly affirms the goodness and importance of evangelism as part of Christian discipleship while guiding the reader away from the kind of evangelism that hurts, toward the kind of evangelism that heals.

Genres: Christian, Christian Living, Faith, Immigration, Justice, Spirituality, Refugee

224 pages, Paperback

Published May 4, 2021

Reviews

[Bianca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Evangelism can feel daunting, especially when it comes to reaching immigrant communities. How do we move beyond good intentions to truly embody the love of Christ? No Longer Strangers by Eugene Cho is a powerful, practical, and deeply biblical guide that tackles this question with wisdom, clarity, and heart.

Yes, Ann Voskamp is a contributor, and while some may take issue with aspects of her theology, don’t let that hold you back—this book is absolutely worth reading. No review can fully capture its depth, so if you’re even slightly curious about how to engage in evangelism with immigrants in a way that is Christ-centered and effective, pick it up for yourself.

What makes this book stand out? Cho doesn’t just explain why we should care—he walks us through how to put our faith into action. He weaves together biblical teaching, real-life examples, and practical steps, making it clear that evangelism isn’t just for the "experts." Anyone can do this, and this book will encourage and equip you to take the next step.

Each of the eight chapters is packed with insight, covering crucial topics like:
🔹 Evangelizing those who have experienced hurt and trauma
🔹 Moving beyond simply being “welcoming” to true hospitality
🔹 Evangelism in the local church—what works, what doesn’t
🔹 Public witness, advocacy, and the role of justice in sharing the gospel

Scripture is woven throughout, making it easy to reflect on the content with an open Bible. Whether you fully agree with everything or find yourself wrestling with some ideas, this book invites you into deeper prayer and discernment.

I took copious notes, and I already know this is a book I’ll be sharing with friends—especially those leading multi-ethnic churches. But honestly, this isn’t just for pastors or ministry leaders. If you love Jesus and want to serve your community with greater wisdom and compassion, this book is for you.

Highly recommended.

[Sarah Kenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely incredible! Like getting to sit down for dinner with eight veteran leaders of American church movements to welcome refugees and immigrants and pick their brains on everything their refugee neighbors have taught them, all the failures and redefined successes, all the pride humbled and perspectives changed, and strip down what it actually means to share gospel in love and truth with refugee neighbors - who join you at the table throughout the book to share their own stories. Cannot recommend enough.

[Maggie Burton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book on a healthy view of evangelism toward refugees and immigrants! Pertains a lot to my work but so helpful if you’re wanting to learn more about evangelism through the local church

[Kir · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book !!

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 3 out of 5]

The United States claims to be a nation of immigrants, though throughout our history we've watched as anti-immigrant sentiment emerges. We're in one of those cycles now, as a segment of the white, Euro-American population fears the "diluting" of our cultural heritage. While Christians might be expected to be welcoming of immigrants, many white Christians are numbered among those who are anti-immigrant, apparently fearing the import of non-Christian religions, including Islam. But, not all Christians can be found in this camp, and that includes white evangelicals who polls suggest are the most averse to immigration.

Some within the evangelical communities have envisioned these immigrant communities as possible opportunities for evangelism. Evangelicals, as their name suggests, are committed to evangelism, seeking to bring those outside the fold into the fold. But even if that is a hoped-for end, some in this category understand that all forms of evangelism are not the same and that immigrants can't be seen only as targets of evangelism. Ministry with and among these communities may involve overt evangelism, but not at the expense of relationships and compassion for others.

"No Longer Strangers" offers a collection of essays that tell stories and offer guidance to evangelical communities that are working among or are hoping to work among immigrant communities, especially Muslim communities. The book is edited by Eugene Cho, president of Bread for the World, and Samira Izadi Page, the founder of Gateway of Grace Ministries, which seeks to minister to and among refugees. They seek to balance the call to evangelistic ministry with compassionate care for the vulnerable and displaced. The editors write in the introduction that the book, "through sharing of experiences, expertise, and diverse lenses, will guide churches, individuals, and Christian leaders in the ways of healthy discipleship and instruct them in how to avoid evangelism that causes harm to immigrants through abuses of power dynamics and intercultural blind spots" (p. 2). In other words they hope to avoid what is known as "rice Christians," the bait and switch effort that offers food and services in exchange for conversions.

The book is composed of eight chapters, each of which is followed by a story that reflects on the message of the prior essay. As one might expect from an edited volume, not all essays are the same. Some will be more appealing and helpful than others. The first essay, by Andrew Bush, which is titled "Evangelism and the Way of the Cross," addresses from the beginning the problem of evangelism that hurts people. that fails to recognize power dynamics. That's important to recognize when working with immigrants who are vulnerable and can be manipulated. So the book begins with a warning. The next essay, by Issam Smeir, looks at the connection of evangelism and trauma -- recognizing again that evangelism can be harmful if those suffering traumas are targeted. Another chapter shares how a church learned to do evangelism and ministry among immigrant groups by truly listening to the needs and concerns of those whom they encounter. There is in several of the chapters a reminder that evangelism among immigrants cannot simply involve passing out some food or even more problematic, copies of the Jesus film. What Laurie Beshore learned is that if ministry among immigrants is to be successful, then one must listen to the communities and address needs that are spoken not assumed.

The chapter by Sandra van Opstal, "Beyond Welcoming," is among the most valuable of the essays. I've heard her speak and read an earlier book by her. I respect her sensitivity to the needs of others, and that comes out in this chapter on Beyond Welcoming. Here she calls for more than hospitality and a move to solidarity with the immigrant community. That is not always easy for congregations, who may have among their members those who fear immigrants. Van Opstal is calling for active support of the cause of immigrants and refugees. Jenny Yang follows that chapter up with one that speaks of public witness and advocacy. Yang works with World Relief in the area of advocacy, so this chapter is reflective of her own vocation and thus worth attending too closely. Her focus is even more specifically focused on refugees (who are different from immigrants).

There is a chapter by Torli Krua that speaks of reconciling refugees and "Americans." She writes that Americans are at home. Refugees are looking for a home. Americans are at peace, but refugees fleeing wars are looking for peace and peaceful co-existence." (p. 114). There is a chapter that seeks to bring the Great Commission and Great Commandment together. This chapter is probably the most overtly evangelistic of the chapters and reflects a Southern Baptist vision of evangelism. The final chapter, written by Samira Iazadi Page, who also serves as an editor of the book, speaks of "evangelism that heals." She uses her own experience as an Iranian convert from Islam to Christianity to speak to the good and bad ways of reaching out to persons like her. In her case, it was a welcoming community that didn't put conversion first that brought healing to her life and ultimately led to a commitment to follow Jesus. She writes that "evangelism is about planting seeds and watering them, and sometimes we see the fruit but many times we don't see the growth (1 Cor. 3:7). Our ask is being faithful to the planting and watering, and it is God who brings the growth and fruit." (p. 166).

There is much to like about the book. First, it is a reminder that not all evangelicals, including white evangelicals, are anti-immigrant. The authors give good advice on how to share the good news in ways that are not manipulative. Progressive Christians might find the emphasis on evangelism problematic, but part of the Christian life is sharing our faith with others. So, even if I might not embrace everything here, I think it is a worthy read.

[Ray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eye-opening teachings of evangelizing to immigrant and refugee populations. I've never really thought about how to specifically evangelize to immigrants and refugees outside of my culture, but this book compiled many interesting ideas from the experiences of others. This book focused on immigrant populations of Latin America and the Middle East, since this is where most of the refugees are coming from these days. I wish there was some discussion about Asian immigrant populations.

Some ideas that stood out to me were to be hypervigilant of the immigrant's culture, especially if they were part of a very different religion, such as Catholicism or Muslim. If there is too much push or focus on the Christian religion, it may be offensive. Christians should not take advantage of their position of being a local to oppress immigrants by shoving Christianity into their faces while they struggle with everyday living and are already dedicated to a faith. Christians should be inspired by the love of God to provide services or do non-Christian-specific support work to gain the favor of immigrant populations, such as teach English, navigate the new environment, and generally be loving and caring. Many of these immigrant peoples have lived difficult lives, in the country they fled from and trying to adapt to the new life as an immigrant. They need much love and care.

This book was a compilation of various individuals' experiences, so it got a bit repetitive at times. However, valuable and recommended read for any Christian, especially those focused on evangelism.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of essays by different authors, but they all have synchronous themes. Some essays resonated with me more deeply than others (loved the last two especially!), but all had important things to say. I do think there were some assumptions being made by most of the authors that may throw some people off. Those assumptions weren't supported (and thus assumed), but that seemed intentional, perhaps not part of the scope of this book. If you're reading a book like this, perhaps you've already worked through some of those assumptions already. Overall I think it's a relatively accessible read on the topic, and if it leaves some people with questions, they should pause and examine them biblically or through other resources before continuing on, as many of the points rely on them.

[Despond · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are eight different chapters by different authors. Some are better than others. They all share on the topic of immigrants and refugees and how to engage them. It is not a how to evangelize type of book but how to engage them in their context. Some of the authors get a bit political, same stuff I've heard. The biblical case for the foreigner, I believe is a stretch from the Old Testament paradigm. I believe their exegesis doesn't really fit our context, at least not most of it. Regardless, it was good to read a book from multiple authors and how they have engaged the immigrant communities. There are some good tips, not many ideas as how to, but overall a decent book to think outside of the box. The fact is we do need to engage them with the Gospel of Christ no matter what we believe politically, theologically or otherwise. That is not an option.

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are some very good insights here. I read this with a group of volunteers who hadn't been exposed to current thinking in nonprofit work, and they all thought it was helpful. It's important to come along side the people we seek to help and listen to them, treat them as equals, seek mutual help from each other, and support rather than dictate. This book is good at pointing out ways that we can unconsciously act in ways that demean the people we are trying to help. The contributors have varied levels of interest in actual evangelism. I'd say the book is better as a resource for general volunteering and non-profit work than for evangelism.

[Ian Ritchie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We can't say we love people and care only about their spiritual life, just like we can't say that we love people and never engage them spiritually. We must see people as complex, multi-dimensional beings. We must care about our neighbor's physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being, as well as the systems that impact our neighbor. It will be a comprehensive love that sees our neighbor, as John Stott says, as neither a soulless body nor a bodiless soul, but rather the body and soul in community."
-K.J. Hill, The Great Concern + the Great Commandment

[Alana · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a refreshing breath of air after some more anger-inducting current events books I've read lately. Not that the subject matter is free from controversy: far from it. But it's such a gentle reminder of what we're really called to as Christians, back to the basics of loving our neighbor as ourselves. And what that looks like when your neighbor has found themselves in a position devoid of power, while you have the upper hand. How does love really include, invite, involve, and fully embrace our neighbor?

[Ashley Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Evangelism is sharing good news and can't be intrusive. People need space and time to process their trauma."

"We have to remember that refugees and immigrants are people, not our evangelism projects."

This book discusses evangelism with immigrants and refugees. The writers provide a different perspective on evangelize that moves from doing evangelism to refugees to evangelism with refugees. Each chapter is written by either a pastor, theologian, or refugee.

[George P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Christians in North America send missionaries around the world to evangelize and plant churches. Increasingly, however, the world is coming to North America in the form of immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers. This presents Christians with an opportunity, but also a challenge. To practice “effective, healthy, and restorative discipleship and evangelism,” the authors urge Christians to better understand the “cultural, social, and economic dynamics” of the immigrant experience. The resulting model of evangelism and discipleship incorporates mutual relationships, compassionate help, and organic spiritual conversations.

P.S. If you liked this recommendation, please click “Helpful” on my Amazon review page.

[Kate Wartak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offers a fairly wide ranging assortment of perspectives on engaging with immigrants and refugees. Some essays more well-written than others, and I appreciated the diversity of thought. I was challenged to love and serve as well as share the gospel with my immigrant neighbors!

[Nicole Hendricks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book through a virtual book club with World Relief. Different authors for each chapter. Great information. Highly recommend.

[Ashley Conte · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for those actively wanting to engage in immigrant communities and create relationship

[Marc · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful insights for me, digesting application in my context.